30 September 2013

Review: Fool Moon

Fool Moon, if the title didn't tip you off, involves werewolves. The Dresden universe werewolves are a little different than the ones I'm familiar with (spoiler alert: werewolves have never been my thing), but there are some people who take on a more bestial quality, some that are super strong, the "loup-garou" (French for werewolf, naturally), and so on that are involved in a number of murders in Chicago. Harry Dresden, of course, is on the case, and onward we go from there.

What I liked: I complained a bit in the first book about the lack of danger. While I know there are a number of books left, there's was a solid feeling of danger for Harry throughout. He's shot, he's wheeling and dealing with demons, he's getting stabbed, possibly eaten...I knew he'd come away with his life intact, but there's absolutely no guarantee he'll come through clean, and that feels rare, even if it might not be.

I also like that the book is very clearly setting up little plot points for the future. Some are big, like the deals with the demon for Dresden's True Name, and some smaller, such as a certain person escaping to the Northwest at the end of the book or the abilities of the FBI. It's great to see some stuff laid out for the future in that regard.

Finally, kudos to Jim Butcher for making me care about werewolves for the first time. Just what I needed, another fictional trope to explore...

What I didn't like: In this case, actually, not too much. I thought it might have been a slower start than book one, but that's more than okay with how it ended up. I also still wish these books were slightly longer, if only to flesh out some of the more interesting pieces. I could have read 100 pages of Dresden interacting with the demon, but if it means it has to stretch out over 15 books? I'm okay with that, too.

I noted after Storm Front that this was more a dessert course for my literary meals, and this is largely true. With that said, Fool Moon definitely felt more substantive than its predecessor, and I am even more excited to jump into the next volume.